Show me how to know when a thing is evil, which I think is right and good,
how to know when what is lawful, comes from an evil principle,
such as desire for reputation or wealth by usury.
Prayer was not meant to be a time to give God our laundry list of wants and demands, but rather a time for adoration, humble self reflection, confession of sins and thanksgiving. Prayer is meant to be all about God and not us. Prayer is meant to help us know who God is, what He wants and how He desires to be glorified.
The Puritan prayer below is a prayer to help us search our hearts as we come before the Lord. This prayer can be found on page 122 of “The Valley of Vision.”
SEARCHER OF HEARTS,
It is a good day to me when thou givest me a glimpse of myself;
Sin is my greatest evil, but thou art my greatest good;
I have cause to loathe myself, and not to seek self-honour,
for no one desires to commend his own dunghill.
My country, family, church fare worse because of my sins,
for sinners bring judgment in thinking sins are small,
or that God is not angry with them.
Let me not take other good men as my example, and think I am good because I am like them,
For all good men are not so good as thou desirest,
are not always consistent,
do not always follow holiness,
do not feel eternal good in sore affliction.
Show me how to know when a thing is evil, which I think is right and good,
how to know when what is lawful, comes from an evil principle,
such as desire for reputation or wealth by usury.
Give me grace to recall my needs,
my lack of knowing thy will in Scripture,
of wisdom to guide others,
of daily repentance, want of which keeps thee at bay,
of the spirit of prayer, having words without love,
of zeal for thy glory, seeking my own ends,
of joy in thee and thy will,
of love to others.
And let me not lay my pipe
too short of the fountain,
never touching the eternal spring,
never drawing down water from above.
Amen.
Sincere and deep meditation in prayer brings healing to the soul of the one who prays. God’s faithfulness remains our Refuge in darkness. God bless and thanks for sharing Liz.
Amen Chi. Everyday, the Lord continues to teach us how to pray through His Word.
Prayer is a way of opening our hearts to God.
Jesus gives us his authority to make requests. He said if we ask anything in his name, he will do it to glorify God. In Jesus there is no condemnation.
Prayer will keep us away from sin.
Yes, Rose,I agree that prayer is a way of opening our hearts to God. Psalms 62:8 – Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah
However, scripture does not teach anywhere that Jesus gave us His authority to make requests. Jesus tells us to ask the Father in His name. That is not the same as giving us His authority. We are to “ask” not “command” the father.
But prayer is much more than asking.
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray in Matthew 6, in His response, Jesus gave us a pattern of prayer. He said when we pray, we should say “Our Father”. With this opening, Jesus shows us that prayer is a family affair. Only the children of God as defined by John 1:12 can come to Him in prayer.
The Post above tells us to examine our heart when we come before this Holy God who is also our Father. This is in line with Ecclesiastes 5:2 :
Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
This is also inline with Psalms 51:17 :
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
The place of prayer is not just a place to list your wants & desire, it is a place of repentance, humility and also to get to know your heavenly father more.
Repentance is not condemnation, it is our agreeing with God that we have sinned and turning away from the sin. It is also a command of God. Mark 1:14-15
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,
The Bible calls us to repentance. Repentance should be ongoing in the life of the believer and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (emphasis mine)
While prayer helps to set out heart right before God, studying and memorizing scripture is the best antidote against sin:
Psalms 119:11
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.